Using Ontario Tobacco Survey data (a representative sample of Ontario adults) linked with health administrative data from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, we found a significant interaction effect between age and smoking status on direct healthcare costs. Current

Ontario’s youth exposure to tobacco use in movies remains substantial. Requiring any movie that contains tobacco imagery be assigned an adult rating (18A) in Ontario could considerably decrease smoking initiation among youth. The 2017 data for top-grossing movies released

Using baseline data from Smokers’ Panel, this study explored gender differences in the use of smoking cessation services and resources. The study found that female smokers were more likely to use the nicotine patch, varenicline, Smokers’ Helpline phone and online programs, self

Key Findings: In 2015, 20% of Ontarians aged 12 years or older used tobacco products in the past 30 days including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco and waterpipe Tobacco control efforts resulted in only a 2.6 percentage point (statistically not significant) decrease

Movies are a powerful vehicle for promoting tobacco use. Higher exposure to tobacco in movies increases the uptake of smoking among youth and undermines tobacco prevention efforts. This Special Report adds results for 2015 and 2016 and found that the landscape of onscreen tobac

Despite declining prevalence of smoking in Ontario in the last few decades, rates of smoking cessation have not increased significantly in the last few years. OTRU will conduct Research on Advancing Cessation Treatment (REACT) to study the urgent need to improve cessation outco

Key Findings: Past 30-day use of various tobacco products (including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, snuff or chewing tobacco, but not including waterpipe and electronic cigarettes) reported by Ontarians aged 12 years or older was 20% – statistically lower than the 2010 rate o

Of the more than 7000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, nicotine is one of the most widely assessed. Nicotine has been identified as the primary substance in tobacco that causes addiction and, as such, the main substance driving use of tobacco products. For many years, most of the ha

The Canadian government may be preparing regulations for plain and standardized packaging of cigarette products. This OTRU update examines the level of public support for plain packaging in Ontario, which is among the highest in the world. This high level of support suggests th

With limited population-level research, myths about smoking cessation persist. Research from the Ontario Tobacco Survey (OTS) has improved our understanding of smoking cessation in the general population. Key facts and findings are summarized, including the frequency and number

Key Findings: Past 30-day use of various tobacco products (including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, snuff or chewing tobacco, but not including waterpipe and electronic cigarettes) reported by Ontarians aged 12 years or older was 20% – statistically lower than the 2010 rate o

Movies are a powerful vehicle for promoting tobacco use. Higher exposure to tobacco in movies increases the uptake of smoking among youth and undermines tobacco prevention efforts. This Special Report examines the extent of onscreen tobacco exposure among Ontario youth, and est

Public debate abounds about e-cigarettes, their promotion, sale and use; concerns over youth uptake; the potential for renormalization of smoking; their effectiveness as a cessation aid; and their health impacts. OTRU, in partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental H

Smoking in movies is a cause for smoking initiation and progression to regular smoking among youth. Higher exposure to onscreen tobacco increases the uptake of smoking among youth and undermines tobacco prevention efforts. This report examines the extent of onscreen tobacco exp

A risk categorization model for youth access enforcement was piloted in three public health units over a 12-month period in 2011-2012. Pilot findings suggest that 1) increasing the number of visits to moderate- and high-risk vendors can increase compliance; 2) no- and low-risk

To view the Quitting Smoking in Ontario infographic in a larger size, right-click on the graphic and choose to open the image in a new tab. You can also download the poster information in PowerPoint format (each item on one slide). . Poster References Trying to Quit 3 in 5 smokers int

The Ontario SimSmoke model was developed using the SimSmoke tobacco control policy model. Using population, policy, and smoking data for Ontario, the model assesses the effect on premature deaths and smoking prevalence of tobacco control policies, including cigarette taxes, smo

Using data from the 2012 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s CAMH Monitor, this update presents findings on the level of support among Ontario adults aged 18 years and older for assigning a Restricted or “R” rating to movies that show characters smoking.

This newsletter presents a summary of early and emerging findings among a preliminary sample of survey and in-depth interview participants in the Cessation Pathways study. The information presented here provides a preliminary overview only and should be interpreted with caution.

This update presents data on cigarette brand family preferences based on 1,368 current smokers from the first two waves of the cross-sectional component of the Ontario Tobacco Survey conducted in 2005 and 2006. Sales data are used to examine brand family preferences across regi

Substantial proportions of Ontario smokers are being misled by the terms ‘light’ and ‘mild’ on cigarettes. The purpose of this update is to inform readers about three recent developments of direct relevance to public policy with regard to such deceptive cigarette labelling.

About OTRU

The Ontario Tobacco Research Unit (OTRU) is a Canadian leader in tobacco control research, monitoring and evaluation, teaching and training, and is a respected source of science-based information on tobacco control. We also apply our skills to other areas of public health.